Reddit reviews Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business

Well it's possible that one's a record club pressing. Their color matching wasn't necessarily that great.

But the more likely explanation is just two different printing runs. I know no one will believe me when I tell you this, but MCA's cover manufacturing facilities were controlled by the mafia for several years in there, and their quality control was a leeeeetle bit lax. Check out this book if you'd like to hear more about this.

Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business

Cowboys and Indies: The Epic History of the Record Industry

The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret

There's an excellent book on the history of payola called Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business.

I recommend it to anyone interested in the music/broadcasting/media industry.

I mean first off I don't think you've been following modern music closely at all because there has been plenty of innovative stuff going on as this poster put nicely and he didn't even touch on hip-hop. Sure there's no 'Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Stairway to Heaven" on the radio today (and I for one am very thankful for that as a guy in my early 20's) - but there was no "Sing for Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" or "Runaway" on the radio back then either so I'm not sure what point you're making other than "Music I like used to be on the radio and now it's not".

>You get some 80's and 90's in there, but by and large, the popular music today is dictated by record labels and not by raw talent.

I highly recommend this book that's very revealing about how corrupt the music industry has been for decades, including since the 1960's and 70's. You realize that every artist on the radio was paid for in order to get on there right? As for implying that popular music back then was dictated by "raw talent" - I just don't think that's true otherwise bands like Henry Cow or Gentle Giant would have dominated the airwaves as opposed to the relative mediocre, speaking strictly in a compositional and technical viewpoint, Led Zepplin or the Beatles. Hell why were the less exciting rock bands dominating pop culture over the wonderfully bold and talented free jazz maestros like Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor? An entire generation of people who ignored the exciting electroacoustic experimentations of guys like Stockhausen and Varese. The masses have always chosen the flashy and accessible over the truly talented and innovative.

Really? Take it up with Fredric Dannen then.

http://www.amazon.com/Hit-Men-Brokers-Inside-Business/dp/0679730613

Not sure if the old school music industry fits the "label" of 'evil'? Try reading Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business

It's the record label guys, Read this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Men-Brokers-Inside-Business/dp/0679730613

And probably way more relevant to the current landscape than any of these other books listed.

Also Hit Men by Fredric Dannen. Touches on the mob's influence on the music industry that still goes to this day. IIRC there's pictures of Jimmy Iovine with the Gambino family? Not to mention Tommy Mottola or any of those other gangsters.

> BREAKING NEWS: Catchy music when played more times than other music is catchy!

Never mind the fact that in their totally scientific and valid history lesson on payola they completely leave out the obvious flaw in their argument: turntable hits. There are plenty of songs that get hundreds of thousands of dollars pushed into them that go nowhere.

If anyone is actually interested in this stuff without a needless VSauce meets Buzzfeed video and obvious conclusions you should check out this book.